UNICEF: Polio vaccination in Afghanistan challenged by returning refugees

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced that the return of Afghan refugees from Pakistan has made the polio vaccination campaign in the country more challenging. Stevan Lauwerier, head of the polio eradication program, called for increased efforts to eliminate polio among returning refugees from Pakistan during his visit to the Torkham border on […]

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The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced that the return of Afghan refugees from Pakistan has made the polio vaccination campaign in the country more challenging.

Stevan Lauwerier, head of the polio eradication program, called for increased efforts to eliminate polio among returning refugees from Pakistan during his visit to the Torkham border on Sunday, May 19.

In a meeting with UNICEF staff in Torkham, he emphasized the need for more actions to eradicate the polio virus in Afghanistan.

Previously, the World Health Organization (WHO) had also warned that the return of Afghan refugees from Pakistan increases the risk of polio outbreaks.

According to a report by the organization, among the nearly 600,000 Afghans who recently returned from Pakistan, there are 200,000 unvaccinated children.

This comes as Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only countries in the world where polio remains endemic.

According to WHO statistics, two positive cases of polio have been recorded in Afghanistan since the beginning of this year.

Since October last year, Pakistan has increased the deportation of Afghan migrants amid a dire humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, exacerbating the challenges facing Afghan returnees.

The post UNICEF: Polio vaccination in Afghanistan challenged by returning refugees appeared first on Khaama Press.